as in pressure
the use of power to impose one's will on another
in that class I read books under compulsion that I ordinarily wouldn't have considered
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Recent Examples of compulsion
Writing, on the other hand, is my lifeline—a compulsion, a joy, and sometimes agony.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Family photo For Strausman, like so many artists of all skill levels, creating became a compulsion of the spirit.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The latest evidence of his compulsion is Twilight Override, a 30-song triple-album released last fall under his own name.
—Steve Appleford, SPIN, 6 Apr. 2026
But the man had a normal level of intelligence and lacked any compulsion to injure himself.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Family photo For Strausman, like so many artists of all skill levels, creating became a compulsion of the spirit.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
The latest evidence of his compulsion is Twilight Override, a 30-song triple-album released last fall under his own name.
—Steve Appleford, SPIN, 6 Apr. 2026
But the man had a normal level of intelligence and lacked any compulsion to injure himself.
—Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compulsion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compulsion
Noun
-
Small-town social pressure could be a useful tool, too.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Zelenskyy vowed to keep pressure on Moscow to make concessions in talks.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But, within the constraints of reality, what would actually make that vision work?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Page cited a combination of federal funding cuts, skyrocketing health care costs, diminishing enrollment and more behind the budget constraints, while local teachers cited local investment issues as well.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Jakes confessed to acting as the lookout during the killing, but prosecutors threw out his charges in 2018 after the torture commission found credible evidence of coercion by Boudreau and Detective Michael Kill.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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China’s foreign policy in Asia combines economic integration with selective coercion, deployed in varying proportions depending on the country and context.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Noun
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Her chief lieutenants in this operation are Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill), who specialize in intimidation, surveillance, bribery, and other assorted sins.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
At the time of the armed assault in May 2020, Brown was on probation for a 2014 conviction for assault and battery with a knife and witness intimidation.—
Mike Toole,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The president pressed Nigeria last fall to take more action against terrorism, accusing the country of failing to deal with rampant violence against Christians.—
Joe Walsh,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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The project highlights growing international interest in elevated Latin American genre cinema blending political commentary, suspense, violence and social critique.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compulsion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compulsion. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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